Michael Poa, Sara Duterte’s Lawyer, Speaks on House Impeachment Hearing
SARA DUTERTE’S LAWYER – Atty. Michael Poa claimed that he is willing to attend the hearing of the House and he will wait for the subpoena.
The House Committee on Justice has ruled that two (2) impeachment complaints filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte are sufficient in grounds. Following its finding, the panel scheduled the hearings over the said impeachment raps.
The impeachment complaints that were found sufficient in form, substance, and grounds were the third and fourth ones to be filed against the Vice President. Amid the Congressional recess that runs from March 21 to May 3, the Justice panel is allowed to continue with its legal proceedings.
Two (2) impeachment raps against Duterte did not push through — the first one which was set aside by the House Committee on Justice for violating the one-year rule ban and the second impeachment complaint that was withdrawn by Tindig Pilipinas.
Tindig Pilipinas decided to support the third impeachment rap against Duterte. Thus, to avoid procedural delay, the complainants withdrew the impeachment complaint that they have filed and supported the third impeachment rap which raised the following grounds:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The first hearing on the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was set yesterday, March 25. Prior to it, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer, Atty. Michael Poa, stressed that the Vice President is not required to attend the hearing.
The complainants were also invited by the committee to the said mini-trial. The House Justice panel pushed through with the impeachment hearing despite the absence of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
Based on News5, at the impeachment hearing, the House Committee on Justice approved a motion to issue a subpoena for Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa. He was the spokesperson of the Department of Education during Duterte’s tenure as the DepEd secretary and he is now part of the legal team of the Vice President.
Atty. Michael Poa said that he will wait for the subpoena. Based on the post, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer claimed that he is willing to attend the House impeachment hearing but he will check the content of the subpoena first.
“Titingnan ko [kung] ano ‘yung laman ng subpoena. But definitely, I am willing to attend. Wala akong any intention to evade,” Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s lawyer said.
Previously, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed that he will be one of the witnesses at the upcoming hearing of the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.